Church Micro 8461... Tough Traditional Cache
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Church Micro 8461... Tough
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Another addition to the Church Micro series. I saw the roadsign to this church when driving to Alford and was intrigued. After discovering it had links to King's College, Aberdeen University (where I studied) I had to place a cache for it.
GPS signal is poor here, so use the additional hint to help.
The story of Tough Church and ‘The Bell of Tough’ begins in 1706 when the Tough parish Heritors and Elders called a Patrick Copland to be their minister. Mr. Copeland inherited a crude and derelict kirk building and immediately approached the Heritors for repairs to the structure and for building a "common loft". Many of the Heritors did not live in the parish and even those who could be located were not interested in parting with any funds for this project. So in 1707 a general collection was taken of the congregation to build the loft. Over four pounds was obtained—a substantial amount for this poor country parish, and sufficient to build the loft the same year.
In August 1722 Patrick Copland probably initiated the first communion celebration in the parish. The minister examined everyone in their knowledge of the faith and then had crude tokens produced and given to those who were found worthy of participation in the sacrament. The communion was embraced by the congregation and was repeated annually in August so long as it did not interfere with the harvest. But in 1732 the Lord’s Supper had to be cancelled since "the fabrik of the Kirk would not allow it". The loft built in 1707 now needed to be replaced. Rather than go to the Heritors this time, Copland announced a "public roup", an auction of the seats in the new loft. The highest bidders were either the most affluent or generous common folk of the parish.
Apparently Copland’s loft auction was a great financial success since only a few months later, in March 1734, the Session records report that a new steeple had been built as well as the required loft. The Kirk already had a bell but it was apparently useless, probably cracked. Mr. Copland went to the Heritors pointing out that it was their legal duty to provide a bell for the Kirk. As might be expected, the Heritors refused, and Copland again had to find a creative way to extract voluntary contributions from his poor parishioners.
He contrived a scheme by which the bell became very significant—not just a bell, but ‘The Bell of Tough’ which would be regarded by the people of the parish with great respect. The ringing of ‘The Bell’ would recognize those who contributed to its purchase. It would be rung at the funerals of contributors and all of their descendants without charge forever. The implication was that those who could not afford to contribute would be denied the use of the Bell at their funeral, or would have to pay some fee.
Even with the special promotion of The Bell of Tough, with the promise of having it rung at contributors’ funerals without cost, Mr. Copland had some difficulty raising the needed funds. These were very poor people who could ill afford such luxuries. The records do not indicate if there was a minimum contribution required, although by 1738 parishioners were subscribing to The Bell of Tough for a fee of 3 shillings. To put this amount in perspective it should be noted that the average weekly collection for the entire Kirk was only 3 to 5 shillings! It took Patrick nine months to subscribe forty one persons at which point he felt he had almost exhausted his possibilities. However, he had managed to raise a suitable amount to still able to go ahead with the purchasing of a bell for the empty steeple.
From the Session records of the time, we learn that The Bell of Tough purchased in 1736 by Patrick Copland through an Aberdonian, John Mowat, was actually an old music bell from Kings College. With some research into the history of the college in Old Aberdeen, it may be possible to reveal the actual age of the Bell. The city of Aberdeen records confirm that Mowat was a blacksmith and had been admitted to the Hammermen’s guild in 1717. Biographical information states that he had an extensive business as locksmith, clock maker and bell founder, supplying a large number of parish church bells of the county.
From a genealogical perspective, one of the great benefits deriving from The Bell of Tough saga was the beginning of a regular register of deaths in the parish. The register of deaths, started in 1735, continued with excellent levels of detail until 1752 and seems to contain entries for most deaths in the parish, not just of those who contributed to the Bell. It can be supposed that the ringing of The Bell at funerals was restricted to contributors however.
The present Tough Parish Church was built in 1838 complete with steeple and bell. Although the original church and many of its fittings do not remain, there is one thing there which has survived and still calls out on certain occasions – the sadly often forgotten Bell of Tough.
For more information, please visit: http://www.cushnie-tough.co.uk
The cache is currently a camouflaged 35mm film container
***** Congratulations to ShammyLevva for their FTF! *****
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro@gmail.com.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Znggurj, Znex, Yhxr naq Wbua,
Jr'ir nyy yrnearq nobhg nf jr tb nybat.
Ubjrire, nfx Crgre nf gb jurer guvf pnpur unf tbar,
Ohg gel 'haqre' engure guna 'ba'!
(Ybbx nobir jurer gur cnirzrag naq iretr wbva)
ADDITIONAL HINT: oruvaq srapr ng raq bs crooyr-qnfu jnyy